VaynerMedia names Suruchi Makhija senior director to lead India strategy practice

MUMBAI: VaynerMedia is sharpening its strategic edge in India with the appointment of Suruchi Makhija as senior director, strategy. The move comes as the agency doubles down on culture-first marketing and AI-driven content creation in one of its fastest-growing markets.

Based in Gurugram, Makhija will lead the strategy practice for India as part of VaynerMedia APAC, helping brands navigate an increasingly feed-first digital landscape where content and culture play a central role in consumer engagement.

Announcing the move on LinkedIn, Makhija described the opportunity as both “simple and enormous”.

She wrote, “The brief that brought me here is simple and enormous: in a feed-first world, the creative is the media, and culture is the brief. VaynerMedia is built on that conviction, and India is the most exciting market on earth to prove it.”

She also thanked Salman Moin and the wider leadership team for their confidence, while acknowledging colleagues P Sai Bhardwaj and Aveek Gupta as she embarks on the new role.

Makhija brings more than two decades of experience spanning creative strategy, digital marketing, branded content, business growth and media transformation.

Before joining VaynerMedia, she served as assistant vice president, content at Crescent Group, where she led content strategy and social media initiatives.

Earlier, she was assistant vice president and head of content at Essence, overseeing content operations, business performance and integrated marketing programmes.

Her longest stint was at Wavemaker, where she spent nearly four years in leadership roles, first as head of creative and later as head of growth for content. During that period, she worked across branded content, communication strategy, data-led creative planning, partnerships, content performance and revenue growth.

Alongside her corporate career, Makhija serves as a member of the board of directors at Sakshi’s Joy Foundation, a charitable organisation that provides financial support for underprivileged children undergoing cancer treatment while also supporting research into Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour (DSRCT).

She has also continued to strengthen her academic credentials, completing an executive programme in strategic brand management and communication at MICA | The School of Ideas in 2026, following an earlier professional development programme in creative advertising at the institute.

With brands increasingly competing for attention across social platforms and AI reshaping how content is created and distributed, Makhija’s appointment reflects VaynerMedia’s push to build a stronger strategy offering in India, centred on cultural relevance, creative effectiveness and technology-led innovation.